Sandy Creek Massacre Virtual Reality Tour:

The Sandy Creek Massacre set off one of the bloodiest chapters of the Indian Wars. Apparently, the U.S. Army Commander Col. John Shivington (a Methodist preacher, freemason, and opponent of slavery), acted on his own accord to order the massacre of 70-163 men, women and children. Many of his men protested the raid.

“The Sand Creek raid was a massacre in the American Indian Wars that occurred on November 29, 1864, when a 675-man force of Colorado U.S. Volunteer Cavalry attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho in southeastern Colorado Territory, killing and mutilating an estimated 70–163 Native Americans, about two-thirds of whom were women and children. The location has been designated the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and is administered by the National Park Service.” … read more Wikipedia

Colonel Chivington should have, at the very least, been court marshaled for this raid. One of his officers told the true story and was later gunned down in the streets of Denver, by known associates. They were never brought to justice. Chivington never expressed any regret for his actions that day.

Beecher’s Island Indian Battle:

Battle of Beecher’s Island Monument

“Fought September 17, 18 and 19, 1868 between Col. George A. Forsyth’s company of citizen scouts, numbering 61 men and a large party Indians comprising Northern Cheyennes, Ogallalah, Brule Sioux and Dog Soldiers commanded by the noted war chief Roman Nose. The scouts were surrounded and held on this island for nine days subsisting on horse and mule meat. Indian killed: 75. Wounded: unknown. Here Roman Nose and Medicine Man fought their last battle.”

“The first Night Stillwell and Trudeau crawling out on hands and knees started for relief, and hiding days and traveling nights, reached Fort Wallace. The 3rd night Donovan and Pliley started arriving at Fort Donovan with four others immediately started back, and coming upon Col. Carpenters command on the south fork of the Republican [river] guided them in a 20 mile dash. Reaching the Island at 10 AM the 9th day, 26 hours in advance of Col. Bankhead with scouts Stillwell and Trudeau. The return to Fort Wallace was began on September 27, the wounded being carried in government wagons.”

The location is named for 1st Lt. Fred Beecher, killed in the battle.

Location: 20563 County Rd KK, Wray, CO 80758

A virtual reality tour of the battlefield:

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Cheyenne Dog Soldiers and the 5th U.S. Cavalry – Shruged

Revised: 22 December 2017

Why does this Colorado battlefield site on private land that is very difficult to access? It’s essentially the last significant battle of the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. It marked a turning point in the taming the wild west. It was so significant, that Buffalo Bill Cody (who was fighting with the 5th Cavalry in this) used the story as a narrative of his World Famous Wild West Show.

A modern Dog Soldier headdress at a pow wow.

Planning a new series of battlefield virtual tours beyond the American Civil War, I had a preconception, that this would be yet another atrocity against the American Indians. We invaded their country and destroyed their way of life, but with this battle, I have to side with U.S. Cavalry. This chilling story chronicles the events that led to the fall of some of the deadliest Dog Soldiers on the Great Plains.

As with most Indian campaigns, much credit goes to the Native Americans (in this case Pawnee’s) that assisted the cavalry as scouts and warriors. Much of the blame for the escalating violence goes to Colonel John Chivington, for his murdurous raid on Sandy Creek five years prior.

The 5th Cavalry were battle tested. They had fought from Bull Run to Gettysburg to the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.

“On the afternoon of July 11, 1869, it was hot and windy in northeastern Colorado Territory — typical summer weather for that part of the country. But it was not otherwise a typical day. As the hour approached 3 o’clock, the order was given by trumpet to charge the Indian village at Summit Springs (near present-day Sterling, Colorado). At the sound of ‘Charge, 244 officers and men of the 5th U.S. Cavalry, along with 50 Pawnee Indians serving as scouts, quickly descended upon the village of 84 lodges. Cheyenne Dog Soldier Chief Tall Bull and his people could not have been more surprised”… “Almost as soon as the shooting stopped, a powerful hail and thunderstorm descended upon the village. Everyone took shelter, but lightning killed one horse while a soldier sat upon it.”…read more

Virtual Reality Panorama of the Summit Springs Battlefield.

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